News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-12-15

hood were gone, and in their stead WEI
murder and night. The man spran
across the fence and strobe through tt
field. 81 kissed him !" he said. ~ le
him thar alive, his boy, his baby
wanted to take him home and make lik
he was Harry. wanted to set an waite
i'm sleepin' in my bed. An me bee
trackin his pa all these years with
loaded gun tryin to pay i'm back. T.
go back an kill the boy, an when the
find him in Felder's field, he'll be dead
They'll know then" He turned an
walked toward the field again. His fac
was filled with passion, and his form
was bent as he strode through the corn
field pushing aside the stalks with hi
.tHe sot thar an PLAYED with me, tn,
little But I'll show him. If hi
had a-been me stidder my boy, [ wouldn'
a-keered. But rights right, an one
boy amt no better'n another 1 kir
jist shy a rock at that youngsters heaC
an maybe he'll lay ravin' in fever like
Harry, an then die. Maybe-maybe
Well see - He heard the cries of the
deserted child, and as he drew near the
fence with the stone in his hand, he saw
the little face pressed against the rails
of the fence, calling for help and com
panionship. 81 wisht he'd a-been lay
in on the melon like he was before, "
Nathan thought.
eff was to throw a rock at him now
like rs not hit wouldn't git through the
fence, an if hit did hit wouldn't do no
more n put out eye or sump'n. But I'll
kill i'm anyhow. Lay down." he called
to the child. 'Put yo' head on the
melon an keep still.
The boy obeyed, and Nathan crept to
the fence. "Shet yo' eyes an keep em
shet, he said, as he climbed to the top.
He looked down. A sigh escaped the
boys lips, but he was silent. 1t was
easy now to drop the stone and send the
pure little soul into the presence of its
Maker. But Nathan sat still, gazing at
the bOy-the obedience and trust of the
child were too much for him to bear.
"Tain't no use. can't do it. Iain't
made that away" He slid silently from
the rails and slipped away. ."'Tain't
my doin' if he gifts skeered to death. :"
So he ran through the corn to the road
way and shut out the lonely cries of the
child. All the way home it seemed as
if nothing but sobs were in the air.
When he crossed the foot bridge of the
creek the frogs were sobbing under the
water, and it seemed to Nathan as
if child lay drowning there. The
rustic of the trees by the way
had a human sound of sorrow. 1t
was quite dark now, and Nathan was
keenly alive to every sound around
him. The absorbed look had gone
from his face. Once he stopped quick
ly. He saw at his feet child lying
still, and he stepped out of the way that
he might not crush it. The walk was
longer and more lonely than he had
ever known it before. He tried to
think of Harry, and of the anger and
day his boy was brought home muir |
dered, ms N Nathan thought; itg3i t.; by u. Ezra ia
we'll, so we'll Ezra had come and told
the story, for Harry could not.
He took Nathan's old, worn Bible and
laid his hand upon it and said: "Na-
than, me an you's been Almost brothers, |
an I'd ruther aided than hurt Harry.
seed boy in my apple tree an L
made sure hit was a niger, so fired
rock an l Almost died when l seed it
was Harry fall outen the tree"
This was the simple story. Every
word was burned into Nathan's soul and
he looked inside and read it over again
tonight. Harry was his idol, and he
was dead. What else could the father
do but hate the murderer and seek re-
venge? His love had flowed out from
his heart, like torrent, into the life of
his motherless son and the whole flood
had turned back upon him when death
took away his boy. What had he left
but his fields, and what were they to
him without Harry?
''Baby Stafford An I played with
him an kissed him an didn't kill him
I couldn't even drop the stone on his
head. But he's layin' thar yit, an may
be he'll die
Then the closed eyes and trustful face
came before him again, and he began
listening for the sobs that came from
everywhere. When he walked into his
house Matty was putting supper upon
the plain wooden table, for Matty laid
no stress upon cloths and napkins, and
it had been long time since Nathan
had known the comforts of cleanliness
and order. He looked hopelessly at the
shiftless girl who sat opposite him at
table; at the untidy hair, collarless
neck, and snuff brush, sticking half into
the waist of the calico dress.
It was q dreary picture to come to
after man had struggled with de pair.
Nathan helped himself to the fried ham
and biscuit, then pushed the dishes to-
ward NIatty without looking up. There
were no toilets made for this meal.
Why should Nathan trouble himself
about his hair or shirt for Matty7 Some
times if things were too shiftless and
dirty to be borne with, he would give
Matty a rebuke which she took good
naturedly, obeying him just enough to
keep the peace for a while.
Tonight Nathans thoughts were far
rom this simple table, when Matty
spoke to him:
''Pa, they's been baby lost over to
Stafford's today" He looked up, the
candle burning in the centre OF the
table fared like a big fire. He could
see nothing but the binding light.
Stafford was a-passin' an he up'n
hailed me outen the window, an asst me
if I'd seed n boy four year old"
Matty went on, her father was staring
at her, and she did not know that he
could not see her.
"They tOle me over at Turner's that
Baby Stafford's been gone all day, an
his mas sick abed and they're afeard
hit'll kill her afore mornin' if they don't
find him. They been huntin' up an
down the creek and ev'rywhars. / tole
Stafford wasn't a-mindin' his brats,
but he didn't answer nothin', jest rode
on"
Matty took another biscuit, broke it
open and laid piece of ham inside,
then eat it.
"Mis' Stafford's got heart trouble,
folks says, and an hit amt likely she, IL
git over it if baby's drowned. Mis-
Turner allowed to day that Baby's the
fav'rit in the family, pa an ma both.
Turner's folks is nightly troubled, too,
cause they think lots O Baby. He's
thar ev'ry week.
Matty was through now, and she rose
from the table and called: "Matty, wash
the dishes"
Nathan had scarcely tasted his food,
and he rose from the table without real
izing that he had been there. He went
mechanically to see if the cattle had been
properly fed and watered. He always
did this, and there was no reason why he
should not tonight; but when he got
to the big gate opening into the ''horse'
lot" he stopped and leaned against tree
} and listened to the sObbing. He felt the
little head against his arm and lie shooh
it off. 1t was only one of the horses that
! had stuck his nose across the fence tt
touch his master, and this unkind treat
} ment made him wonder.
'Hll leave it thar an if he finds it deac
an if his wife dies hit1l make us even